Panama in the 'top 3' of countries preferred by foreigners

The Expat 2023 report measures the quality of life, ease of settlement, labor market, quality of personal finances and access to essential services that immigrants have in the country, they arrive more than 12,000 foreigners, of 171 nationalities, agreed that Panama is the third most favored country in the world for emigrating, revealed the tenth version of the Expat report, which is developed by InterNations, one of the largest expatriate networks in the world.

The survey, published a few weeks ago, places our country behind Mexico and Spain, as the preferred option for many migrants to live.

This decision is based on criteria such as the quality of life of the country, the cultural friendliness of the country, the labor market, the ability to generate good personal finances, the offer of leisure activities, and the climate and weather of the nation.

Malte Zeeck, co-founder of InterNations, assured Forbes that Panama’s emergence into third position was a “surprise” for them, given that the country was not present in the previous survey, because not enough local pollsters were found.

Panama is ranked 4th in the places where it is easiest to settle, the first place in the country where it is easiest to find friends, and it is the second nation with the best culture and “welcoming spirit” to foreigners, according to the document. .

82% of expatriates in Panamanian territory stated that they have an “emotional support network” in the country, 74% stated that they have little difficulty finding friends, and 81% commented that “they feel at home.”

Not everything is positive, since in labor terms our nation is not well positioned. We occupy 30th place in the ranking of countries with facilities for foreigners to integrate into the labor market, 45th place in terms of job security, and 45th position in terms of prospects for having a career in the country.

We once again find strengths in sections such as: leisure (11th place), good weather (10th place) and the ability to develop personal finances (8th place).

As a percentage, 83% of expatriates surveyed in Panama consider that it is easy to find a home, 65% believe that it is easy to pay for it, and 81% say they are happy with their life in the country.

The top 10 countries worldwide are made up of, in addition to the three countries mentioned,: Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Costa Rica, Philippines, Bahrain and Portugal. While on the side of the least preferred destinations to emigrate, there are Japan, New Zealand, Malta, Italy, South Africa, Germany, South Korea, Turkey, Norway and Kuwait.

Source: La Estrella de Panamá